Hi catnip and Sus: I didn't get a chance to answer your posts on a previous thread before it was closed, here:

https://www.exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,2398531,2398646#msg-2398646

Then time slipped by but here I am now.

I had mentioned enjoying books featuring forensics, in particular Kathy Reichs and her characters Temperance Brennan and her partner Andrew Ryan (now retired from the police but re-careered). She travels back and forth from the USA to Quebec both for her cases and to see him.

catnip, you asked re Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series: Yes! I've read those books and loved them too. I really enjoy the material and detail related to forensic science. I think you'd enjoy the Reichs series too, also involving forensic science. The cases can be brutal but there is humour too, with Tempe's generally sardonic attitude, and her spoiled, temperamental cat, and the wordplay between Tempe and Andrew is clever and funny. It's a cute love story, not too soppy. Let me know how you like them. If you're like me (a bit OCD!) you'll want to start with #1, although that's a while back now. I have to say I found the latest one a bit hard to follow (going between several locations, further back in time, with various victims) but that could be me not focusing. I've switched to a country doctor series for now (set in Ireland) with no mortuaries or evildoers to be found, just for a bit of a rest.

(I don't enjoy the TV series "Bones" at all, but that's another story).

Re Patricia Cornwell, she's had a colourful life. She was befriended by Billy Graham's wife Ruth in a time of need and she ended up eventually writing a biography of Ruth Graham. Too, she's written other books besides the Scarpetta series. She's also put forth a different theory about the identity of Jack the Ripper, naming a painter as her suspect. So, a talented and imaginative writer. Unfortunately, she has experienced mental illness in her life. Of note, she is a descendant of Harriet Beecher Stowe, I've read. Sometimes writers can be as interesting as the characters they invent and with some, even more so.


Sus: Re Thanksgiving - so I ended up with no turkey after all. Drove a good long ways to the shop where we usually get turkey breasts already prepared. I just have to add stuffing and cranberry sauce and dinner's done. But this year, inexplicably - no turkey, only chicken. Wah. I can't even remember now what we ate instead but it wasn't poultry. It's hard to break such an ingrained habit as our menu for Thanksgiving but this time, no choice. And no dessert either. Oh well, there's always next year. (Until there isn't, lol).

You're right about the horror books. Not for me! I don't find that genre entertaining at all, either books, TV or movies. I can barely get through some TV mysteries and they're usually fairly mild. I like CSI (also forensics) but only if it's not too gory or scary.

Re Jonathan Kellerman who you mentioned - yes again! I've read his books too and enjoyed them very much. It starts with having an appealing character and then, of course, the writing style.

These authors who invent such appealing and intriguing characters are much appreciated by me. I note too that they make a great living when they create a series. Especially if it goes to TV or movies, of course.

I've read a lot of Daniel Silva too. I don't usually like spy stories (too much suspense for me) but he is amazing. I don't get much else done when I'm in the middle of one of his books. Un-put-down-able. The one I read most recently is 'The Order', about a supposed lost gospel that the RCC is trying to suppress. Creepy as hell and so realistic. The hero guy in that book, and many more, is Gabriel Allon, an art restorer who also works as an agent for Israel. A brilliant character and most interesting series.

Silva's wife is Jamie Gangel, TV reporter.

So many books. So little time. Get reading!

And thanks for the comments. I've enjoyed thinking about the world of books and all the characters and genres I love. (These are just a few of countless others).

Interesting to me that you mention Johnathan Kellerman and enjoying his writing style as he is an author I just cannot get into. Far too slow for me.

Some authors of series seem to run out of ideas after a while. I no longer read the Jack Reacher stories. To me long past their sell by date. I enjoy Daniel Silva but even his last couple of books have been below par. For writing style I find James Lee Burke very much to my taste. I think he could describe the phone book (do they have phone books any more) and it would be like a painted picture.

For a change of pace in a foreign local, have you read the Rebus books by Ian Rankin, especially the earlier ones. They are set in Edinburg, Scotland and they have been dramatized by the BBC. On that note I much preferred John Hannah in the role than the current actor whose name escapes me.

For quirky stories check out Alexander Block. His Matthew Scudder series and his Hitman series (a professional hitman whose passion is stamp collecting) are stand olut.

That's Lawrence Block.

His specialty is seeing how boring and mundane he can make his characters and still give the reader something worth reading.

He even gives them boring names, like the hitman's secretary is named Dot.

Matthew Scudder's girlfriend is a prostitute, and then an ex-prostitute, and he even makes THAT relationship seem normal and boring.

Scudder is a non-drinking alcoholic, and he goes to AA meetings ALL the time.

You are right it is Lawrence. Don't know where my mind was. I don't find him boring but a nice mix of satyr, irony, and quirkiness. How can you go wrong with titles such as The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, or When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes.

His book A Walk Among the Tombstones was made into as movie with Liam Neesom playing Scudder.

How about Phillip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series? Sad that Kerr died suddenly at a relatively young age so no more books about Bernie. The books have been optioned for the screen but so far no motions to make that a reality.

No, his books aren't boring, but he likes to do things like give his heroes and even his villains boring names and lives -- like a stamp collecting villain. And even the name "Scudder" doesn't exactly broadcast charisma. None of his heroes have charisma. No James Bond types here.

Lawrence Block wrote a monthly column on writing years ago in a magazine called "The Writer."

I was a would-be writer at that point in my life and I devoured every word.

He wrote a how-to book on writing called "Telling lies for fun and profit," which I think is a great title.

Oh, how I wanted to be a paperback writer -- Paperback Writer!!

I published a few short stories, but no paperback novels until I finally figured out that the best way to make money writing was to have someone else come up with the words.

So I became a court reporter.

A mild-mannered court reporter.

loislane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I published a few short stories

No small feat. Congratulations!


> So I became a court reporter.

> A mild-mannered court reporter.

Hahaha.

Hi kentish. Re Jonathan Kellerman - I like his character Alex Delaware. I enjoy both his specialties: forensics & psychology. The analysis part of things is interesting to me so yeah, that can be slow. I prefer it to constant rapid action without much meat to the tale, and also to prolonged suspense. I definitely can't do horror or too much gore.

I read some of the early Jack Reachers. I generally like Lee Child but haven't read one of his for quite a while now.

I haven't read all of Daniel Silva's but did enjoy the recent one about the Catholic Church hiding documents, although it gave me the creeps. Quite realistic, I found it. I can see that some readers may not appreciate the religious setting in that one but I thought the mystery was absorbing. Also, I like the main character and his wife so that always helps.

I haven't read any James Lee Burke - I'll watch out for him and try it. I enjoy clever, different description.

Oh yes, I've read every single Rebus. Edinburgh is one of my all-time favourite places on earth (of the ones I've seen and read about) so I enjoy the descriptions of that setting. My grandfather was born there and one of his daughters, my mom, was also born in Scotland, in Aberdeen. I've had some of my best meals ever there, within sight of Edinburgh Castle. I never saw John Hannah in the role, only the shows featuring Ken Stott. I always had a longing that Rebus would find a partner and settle down and be happy and I grieved for him getting older and having to retire, making him feel there was nothing left for him. Just as if he were a real person - it's kind of incredible when an author can do that.

I've read some Lawrence Block but not the ones you mention. I'll look out for him again.

I forgot to mention one of my early favourites: Sara Paretsky, with her amazing character V.I. Warshawski.

All these authors are credited with making amazing impacts on their genres. I certainly appreciate their work. Many enjoyable hours...

Nightingale, just saw your response. I guess it would be a dull world if we all had the sales tastes. Burke can be gritty but the descriptive beauty of his writing style is just poetry to me. I think in another time and place he might have been up there with people like Steinbeck but crime genre pays the bills. He occasionally does a one off but his main character a former New Orleans cop with plant 8f demons like Vietnam, alcohol, and his Catholicism.

You might prefer the Bernie Gunther stories by Kerr. Bernie is a Berlin cop at the rise of Hitler. Despite his intense dislike of all the Nazis stand for he finds himself caught up. Various stories find Bernie engaged in adventures involving people like Gobbels, Heydrich, and even the Perons and writer Somerset Maughn. He navigates his life through it all with clever detective work, sarcasm and his site. Delightful stuff. Stories brought to an end by the sudden death of Philip Kerr.

I am, too, a huge fan of the late Robert B. Parker. His Spenser series is delicious. You may know his other character Jessie Stone played by Tom Selleck in the TV movies. Parker was a devotee of perhaps the greatest American crime writer of them all Raymond Chandler and his style is the same. Few words,plenty of dialog and a quick read.

Sorry for typos. Fat fingers on a tablet are a problem,going back and correcting even more so. Not to mention the clash of wills between what my brain wants to put down and what comes out, both at the mercy of auto correct.

"...the descriptive beauty of his writing style is just poetry to me."

I'm hooked. I'll watch out for him on my next trip to the bookshop.

I kind of winced at your mention of Nazis - I have a strong aversion - but obviously they won't come off as heroes so I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

I've enjoyed W.S. Maugham too. Maybe we've got the English thing in common, you and I. :)

Robert Parker: I've only read some of the Spencer books. I'll look up the Stone ones.

Your suggestions are going to keep me busy through the winter, I see. Thanks for that!

Tom Selleck: I've been in love with him for a thousand years. I'm in.


At the moment I'm watching Robert the Bruce trying to defeat the English army (The Quest for Bannockburn with Neil Oliver). We're at the part where they're asking "what the hell are we doing here". Ah yes, the eternal question. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2021 08:57PM by Nightingale.

I read some of Patricia Cornwell's books, but she's a little dark for me. I might give Kathy Reichs a try.

Yes, try Kathy Reichs, summer, if that's a genre you enjoy. Her stories are often more analysis than riotous action, which makes sense as the main character comes in after the fact and tries to figure out what happened. Some of the murders are historic ones, way in the past, and it's super interesting to follow along with the forensic analysis to recreate what occurred and even to ID the victims. The latest book includes the latest techniques in the fields of genetics to ID the victims.

I enjoy the references to location (the character's two main haunts), the interactions between her and her (retired) cop partner, who lives in another city/country, as well as her cat and his unique character that bends her to his will, no matter what else is going on. The subjects are serious but there are moments of levity and I find the mix interesting and amusing. The character has flaws and makes mistakes and she seems so realistic and human.

It's amazing that Kathy R could write such a successful and brilliant series that it becomes a long-running television show. She was a consultant for the show and I think I read that she was even in one episode. However, liking the books so much, I had my own idea of what the characters were like and even how they looked and (I know it's irrational but...) I didn't take to the two actors chosen to play the lead roles - too young and intense for one thing - so I never watched it.

I'm often disappointed in shows if I've read the books first. I thought, for instance, that no way could anybody make Sherlock Holmes into a believable TV character but I was wrong about that. I've seen ancient shows with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock, for instance and he was amazing and so are many others.

It's funny how possessive readers can feel about their favourite characters. That's when you know the authors are so very amazingly talented. They make up people that you can believe are actually real. To our great benefit and enjoyment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2021 02:22PM by Nightingale.

In the TV series, "Bones," the lead character of Temperance Brennan came off to me as being autistic. Was the character portrayed that way in the novels?

Not that I noticed in the novels, summer.

As I said, I didn't watch the series. So funny how you get a set idea in your head about a fictional character and sometimes TV or movies don't measure up and it puts you off. I didn't give the TV show much of a chance - I just didn't like it from the get-go and never watched it again. Unfair of me, likely. The first thing I noticed was that the TV lead character (Temperance) was too young for all the back story described in the novels. I know - I tend to get too literal but it just hit me wrong from the first minute. I guess TV watchers prefer younger faces to gaze at whereas reading a book you can run with your imagination. For me, imagination often wins out. Too, you tend to feel ownership of a character that lives in your imagination in a certain way. I felt quite annoyed with the TV version. Not rational, I know.